Dramatic Commentary

AND

Ground Plans

Ground Plan

• Audience with arrow

• Entrance and exit

• Stage

• Key

• Opening positions of characters

• Viability (roughly to scale and no obstructions to sight lines

audience

P

Key

P – Petey

table- flat

- chair

- window

- entrance/exit

Naturalistic set of ‘The Birthday Party’ –Boxed set

Audience

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

- fireplace

- table

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - curtain

- chair

KEY

- entrance/exit

P

P – Petey

Minimalist set ‘The Birthday Party’

1st Column Notes for Actors

Do You Have:

• Stage Position (USL, CS…..)• Voice terms(pitch, pace, tone, volume, intonation,

clarity, register, accent, articulation, fluency)

• Movement terms(gestures, facial expression, body language, use of levels, use of space, posture)

• Feelings/Emotions towards others

2nd ColumnJustification

• Why are they in that stage position?• Why is their voice like that?• Why are they moving like that?• Why do they feel these emotions/feelings?

Show an understanding of the whole play –of that character’s motivation – the reason behind their actions.Keep asking WHY???

3rd ColumnTechnical Effects - LIGHTS

AN EXAMPLE:

4 fresnel lanterns hanging at a 45 angle to give a wash of light at level 5. The key light is the sunlight coming in the window and a lamp.

One profile lantern with a gobo of a window projected on the back wall. An amber gel on the lantern to represent sunlight. At level 4 increasing to level 7 to show morning progressing and sun coming up.

Sound FxsAN EXAMPLE

• Sounds of seagulls to show that it is a seaside town.

• Piece of classical music building up to a crescendo to increase tension and create a sombre, tense mood and atmosphere.

Notes for actors

Stage Position WHY? SOUND FXS

Voice WHY? MUSIC

Movement WHY? LIGHTING

Emotions/

Feelings about others

WHY? WHY?

Justification Technical FXs